Whisper Caverns Homecoming Queen

The current alpha has missed most of what was said between the subordinates and Narimé’s daughter, but it was easy to catch up on the mood settling in around him. None the less, he confidently strode forward, his head held high, much like he had done when he had been leading Poison Path before everyone had been striped right from under him. Though Narimé was much bigger than him, he still made himself look as tall as he could, letting his fur bristle slightly to make the illusion that he was much bigger than he should have been, which his winter coat just contributed to. Apparently, the woman was not so alright with him waltzing in and taking his mate’s place, and though he could understand where she was coming from, he felt that bitter edge creeping into the back of his mind, the anger quickly started to build up within him, but he kept his face a stolid mask, not letting any emotions cross over him.

When the former alpha spoke Ash’s eyes moved with her as she moved, his gaze attentive and narrowing slightly at the mention of his siblings, which caused his familiar slanting gaze to look as if he had closed his eyes. There weren’t much to see in his eyes anyway, unless he really wanted someone else to notice something, which was something that his eye type helped him with, slightly. He then waited, slightly to anything else she had to add and letting the darkness get into his head every moment that Narimé disrespected his rank. If it weren’t for the fact that she looked ill he would have jumped her right there and forced her into submission, but over the months his heart had grown softer and with that he took mercy on the woman. He tried not to scoff, and succeeded, at her introduction. He knew who she was, he might have been new, but he knew things…many things, probably more than her. His gaze wondered towards Malia and his mossy green gaze softened slightly, Like how to be a worthy parent, a soft voice hissed in his head. Shaking it away, his head turned back to Narimé as she approached him, his lips pulling back in warning.

It didn’t seem that he had anything to worry about though, for soon she was getting down and submitting to him, thanking him for the short time he had been there. Before she went all the way down, Ash gripped her muzzle firmly within his grasp, tugging hard to asset his dominance before gently pushing her head closer to the cave floor so that he could whisper gently in her ear so only she could hear, "And we will continue to do so…I expect that you be respectful to Minka and myself. She has worked hard in your absence." A dangerous look passed over his face before it vanished again, so quickly that it easily could have been imagined. Stepping away from her and allowing her to get up, he looked over the starved girl, a frown tugging at his lips as he spoke again, turning towards the subordinate….of whom he did not know the name of(Inali), and spoke kindly, "Uhhm, could you please get Miss Thorben a meal, please?" He spoke the words kindly, put with a firm end into them, letting her know that even though he had requested such a thing, he expected the woman to follow through with his order.

I think I've finally seen the light..in you.

Inali kept quiet through the whole exchange between her ex alpha, and apparently, her current alpha. Who she knew nothing of. But he held the scent of Minka and Whisper Caverns on his pelt, and that was all she needed to know. Even though she was quiet, her mind was all over the place. For some reason, this man reminded her so much of Steel, her friend over the mountains. She wanted to ask if by some miracle, he knew of him, but obviously now was not the time.

She watched as Nari showed submission to this man, and he grasped her muzzle firmly, probably to assert his dominance over her, and then whispered words in her ear that only Narime would be able to decipher. A look went across his face so quickly, that Inali couldn't really catch what emotion it portrayed, and as she tried to puzzle it over in her mind, the man addressed her.

Not by name, just by command. Through the whole experience, her face had remained a mask, intent on their interaction, but also seeking to check on Malia every couple of moments. She smiled at him now, the smile reaching her eyes. And even though this moment didn't really call for amusement or jokes, she just couldn't help herself. It was her way of welcoming him to the family she supposed. "Sir yes Sir," she spoke as she locked gazes with him, her blue eyes twinkling brightly. And the reason probably coincided with the fact that he reminded her of Steel.

Her eyes flickered to Malia and then back to her new alpha, not knowing if he wanted Malia to tag along. Inali began to pad out of the cave, resolving in her mind that Malia would know what to do or they would tell her what to do. Just before she left, she glanced back and grinned. "Welcome to the family Ash. And the name's Inali." With a final nod to the three, she took her leave. She'd do as she was told and get Nari some food, and then, who knew what else. Her mood had definitely brightened from when she entered the cave in the first place, and the world suddenly didn't look so bleak as it did before.

{Exit}

Malia smiled widely at her mother's response, nuzzling her mother's belly again. Even the girl could feel the change in the air after she had spilled the beans. She sat down near her mother, turning to look at Tokino and seeing the glare he sent towards her before exiting the den. Malia matched it with her own. The hope that had bloomed with her mother's arrival was extinguished by Narime's reaction. Clearly Sloane was not home, and by the day it was getting clearer that he would not be returning. The Thorben girl's ears and tail drooped, her body language conveying her disappointment. She nodded sadly at Narime's request, agreeing to it for now, for her mother's sake.

Her mother was beginning to vocalize what everyone was thinking when a large male stepped into the den. He seemed enormous, with giant paws and a massive body. It was as if he was filling up the whole cave at once, however unlikely that would be. The male introduced himself and Malia's eyes narrowed immediately. So, this is the guy that was replacing her dad. Her mother and Ash exchanged some words, and Malia could tell that the male was not happy about something. When he took his mother's jaw into his Malia's hair stood straight on end and a small growl emerged from her. The 7-month-old did not like his tone of voice and the look that passed over his features.

Soon enough he dismissed Inali to get some food for Narime. The female wolf looked at her expectantly. Malia could feel her anger growing by the minute for this new dominant that she had, and it was obvious she had already done too much damage to the situation. The girl nuzzled her mother's leg again and looked up at her, seeing the tired expression on her face. With a whine she turned and chased after Inali who had already left the den, not understanding why Inali was happy during such a disastrous time.

{exit} "Speech"

(This post was last modified: Dec 28, 2013, 08:57 PM by Malia.)

Her gaze raked the ground as Nari felt the familiar feel of jaws around muzzle. The firm grip and demeanor of Ash somewhat reminded her of Elettra in a way. Though perhaps this man was more modest than the noble dark pelted woman. Narime wasn't sure how strict this Hervok would run the pack but a prickle of interest in the back of her head made sure that the woman would be watching him. For he was older than Sloane was and perhaps wiser than she and her mate when they had led the pack. Plus Elettra was a good leader, so if this man resembles her in presence perhaps he would make a good lead as well? That was the young mothers thinking.

His quiet words however sent a shiver down her spine. She wanted to speak up and tell the male that she had left to ally the pack with another. She HAD been doing work specifically for the pack and for the safety of her pups. How was she to know that neverending rain and snow storms would hinder her travel making her so late upon return? However now was not the time to speak to him. Bitterness filled her head cursing everything that had happened. It all just felt very unfair to her. When she had been trying to do well as a mother and prove herself to Sloane that she could be a leader.

It was clear now that nobody would help her anymore. If Nari wanted something she would have to figure out how to get it. That included the packs loyalty once more. She was no longer the lead female raised to the position simply for being the lead males mate. She would have to work harder and prove herself to keep a high position within the pack. It would be a great learning curve for the young woman. To be true to that inner nature instead of being her usual nice self and letting others walk all over her.

She thought back on the Hervok's previous words. "And we will continue to do so…I expect that you be respectful to Minka and myself. She has worked hard in your absence." She WAS respectful of Minka's position. Believe it or not Nari knew full well that the hunter had done a good job while she was gone. That's why she chose her as second and lead huntress. It was Ash who Nari was unsure whether to respect. Though she would continue giving her respect until Ash did something that would have the silver wolf lose all respect in him.

Ash stepped away and Nari was allowed once more to get up. She paused for a moment figuring out what she was supposed to do. She glanced to Ash noting what he was doing. The man always seemed to keep a proud appearance. The appearance of a regal through and through. Perhaps that was what made her think of @Elettra while looking at him. The Willow leader had always held herself proudly knowing she was lead. Narime raised herself above the others and glanced towards Inali as Ash ordered the scout to get her some food. Nari was careful to keep herself lower than the male. Then she watched as always cheerful Inali left with Malia chasing unhappily after her.

"Doesn't look like Malia likes you yet. " She commented to the older male then pawed at her itchy face where he had grabbed her. "Though I understand where she's coming from. I wonder if my other children are going to enjoy all this change too." Genuine worry creased her brow as Nari wondered how much ruckus Malia would make now that she knew her father might never come back. Though the silver wolf worried more so over whether Titan, Malia, and Yuka would ever warm to this Hervok man. Hell I'm worried if I'll ever warm up to him... She thought quietly while stealing a side glance at him.

Her previous thoughts about Elettra had brought back the harsh reality that she had found out during her mission. Laying down upon the earth once more Nari wondered what to do next. Obviously regular duties for the pack, but also wondering about when she should confront Elettra. Everybody would know she was back now. It would spread like a virus through the pack via Malia, Inali, and Tokino. So Nari didn't want to be gone for too long before she met with everybody. Sighing the young hunter decided she would head over to the willows once she was well rested. Luckily the packs were so close together It would take her only half a day to finish this new personal mission.

Turning back to Ash with lowly eyes Nari nodded in thanks to his order making Inali get her food. She would have to be well rested before doing any duties. "I'm sorry for how I acted.. Everything's just.. Happening all at once. I am overwhelmed and a little nervous at the same time..." Narime apologized while turning her gaze back to the entrance of the cave. Today she would think long and hard on the events that had unfolded recently. "Just call me Nari. It's shorter and easier to call me for when you need something, " She lay her head upon her paws still gazing out at the snowy tree's outside their den.

OOC : I suppose you could call that her exiting post? Unless you wanna keep going Lightning. I do have muse for this thread.

Can you and I keep going so he gets to know her a little better?

He watched the interactions with narrowed eyes and observed the girl, Inali she called herself, leave to follow out his orders without question, something that he could respect in another woman, especially a younger one. However, it was the pup that had his main attention and as she looked upon the young girl and saw her distaste towards him, he did his best not to wince in the familiar ache that always came with looking forwards pups. She looked nothing like his Belladonna or Aphrodite, but she definitely had the familiar spark that he had seen in both of his other adopted daughter. One of which had disappeared; the other had been stolen from him. He hated to see how the look of loathe passed through the girl’s face, and he turned back towards the mother, keeping his face composed because he knew if he looked upon that face any longer, he would have cracked. Narimé however seemed to want to enjoy the fact that her daughter didn’t like him and pointed it out.

Mossy green eyes flashed up to meet those of Narimé’s, his face hard and composed once more. It was nice knowing that she had other children and hoped that he would have better luck than he had with Malia. Sighing gently, he looked at the gray woman in front of him and spoke calmly, <b style="color:#261a36 ">"And how are your other children…? I don’t wish to upset them anymore than they already seem to be." Ash was one of those alphas who generally knew what was going on within the pack, but he had just arrived and knew nothing of anyone except for Namara, of whom he had been living with for the past year anyway. He was relieved that it was just the two of them now, he would hopefully be able to find out more about this pack, and that would do well to benefit the growth of the pack if Narimé allowed it, which would be the smart thing to do, in her case.

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I think I've finally seen the light..in you.

Yay!

Her right ear angled towards Ash simply to listen as the words fell from his lips. The other ear lay comfortably near the side of her head for Nari was still tired from her journey.Of course all this new information had tired out her mind as well as her body. She felt as though she could fall asleep at any given time. However the woman kept herself upright to stave away sleep in order to speak with Ash.

"I'm sure Yuka will be unhappy that his father is gone but he'll probably give you a chance. He's the smartest of the three and stays well out of trouble." She spoke of her gray boy warmly proud that he was so intelligent. Her habit of doing and speaking things before thinking often got Nari into trouble. However when she did stop and think about things she was actually quite intuitive. Yuka had gotten smarts from both she and Sloane though he got a level head and the ability to think before doing things from his father. Come to think of it he really is beginning to remind me of Guiness. She thought quietly before moving on to her other son.

"Titan on the other hand might be very unhappy about his fathers disappearance and your place as alpha. Much like his sister Malia." She answered giving Ash a sheepish smile. At least he might have one pup liking him. "As much as Titan and Malia bicker with each other they really do have the same views, likes, and dislikes." She wondered if they would ever really get along with each other.

She let silence envelope her for a few moments. Honestly she wasn't sure how much time passed before Nari decided to give him a physical description of the pups. Just in case one of them might wander away from the pack for a while and Ash might find them. She would trust Ash to keep them safe as he already had for a short time while she was gone.

"Titan has black fur with silver guard hairs and dark blue eyes, Malia you already met with, and Yuka has gray fur all over but a sort of rust hued mask over his face.Then Yuka and Malia both have their fathers amber eyes." She let the information flow from her muzzle while still feeling a tiny bit awkward around the new lead. She couldn't keep herself relaxed around him and guessed that she probably would be tense near him for some time before she got to know the Hervok man.

"Soo... Have you ever led a pack before?" She let her question go wondering if the male was simply a natural at looking intimidating or if he actually had experience leading a pack before.

The current alpha listened to the ladies words with care, noting with unease how it didn’t seem as if the children were going to have such an easy time accepting his as the children of Poison Path had. The memories of his little Belladonna constantly played in his head, and he knew he would do anything to have her back by his side and safe. If she ever were to return to Poison Path and see nothing in her wake, what would she think? Never would the dark man wish to have hurt befall his angel. Shaking away his thoughts, he tuned quickly back into Narimé, catching her words, thankfully. The images that he formed in his head were hopefully somewhat accurate and he would be able to find them should the need arise for him to. Hopefully none of the children had any problem with leaving the confines of the borders when they weren’t suppose to, but Ash listened to everything his father had commanded of him out of fear, just as his other many siblings had. The Hervok had never ruled over his wolves in such a cruel way before, much less children, and couldn’t think of how they would act. Never had the male had a problem with his Belladonna until she went missing and nor had he with Aphrodite or Elliot until the bitch, Athena, had stolen them from him. At the thought, he felt his claws dig harshly against the rocky cavern floor and withheld a hiss that was threatening to break rank.

A question he had been hoping to avoid came up and Ash let out a shaky breath, unsure if he truthfully wanted to admit to this woman where he came from. Things he had heard from other packs of how rule his home had been bothered him sometimes, but if Narimé was friends with Nina, than hopefully she shared the same leadership qualities as his sister, and if that were so, he would surely see her rise up and beat the females within the pack with no remorse, even without her mate by her side. He did not know Narimé’s nature though and therefore did not dare question her motives. Once he felt like he could answer with confidence, he spoke, "I have lead a pack before…Poison Path, up in the mountains." He had ruled over those lands for so long and never once had questioned his place. At first, he just wanted what was best for dear Athena, before realizing that he was the best she was going to get and stayed by her side through thick and thin…and then she went off and betrayed him by taking what should have been his children with her. Breathing deeply, he turned to the girl once more and spoke in calmly tones, "Sleep now, fair one. The cold here will get to you soon if you do not." The dark man then let his form succumb into the shadows so that he would be able to watch the gray woman and guard her while she slept. But he moved away in attempts to make her seem more comfortable.

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The silver wolf rolled onto her side seeking a more comfortable position. She trusted Ash enough not to tear into her belly and kill her while she rested. At least it was a start on their unstable relationship.

She blinked a few times while Ash gave her his answer. Then her eyes grew wide.

"You led in Poison Path? What happened to the pack? I guessed that it had been disbanded when I went over the mountains and found no more scent marks on their old borders, but I wasn't positive." She wondered if he could tell her a little more of what had happened with Poison Path. Narimé had known quite a few poisoned wolves from the mountain pack before it had seemingly disappeared. from the pass.

She could guess as to what happened. With the white pup Aphrodite's appearance and her mother following shortly after finding her way into their den, Nari guessed that the pack had broken down without two leads around. Or perhaps it had broken down before they had left? The silver wolf could only guess, and for now she kept the information about Athena and Aphrodite to herself while she gauged the males reaction and/or answer to her question. Tiredness was kept away simply by her own morbid curiosity of what had befallen the Poison Path wolves.

Part of Narimé's response was of no shock to Ash, as many packs knew of the glory of his former triumph, as many had feared them. Ash would always be bound to the mountains, as the lake and old territory was his shadowy domain. Quite uncomfortable with the questions that the curious girl was throwing at him, he shifted uneasily, his mossy green eyes settling onto her resting form on the cavern ground. How was he to explained what had happened without making it sound personal? He knew the answer to his question quite well, even if he dreaded having to put himself through the torture and pain...again.

Biting his cheek in anger, Ash parted his jaws to speak, a part of his past that he had hoped to leave behind snapping at his ass, just as he knew it would, "I lead beside another woman and at the time we were strictly business partners. Against my better judgement, I allowed her to mate with another subordinate who she trusted...who would have ended up taking my place should he have been worthy enough. Before the pups were born he disappeared, but I remained and looked after Poison Path and the woman...she eventually had her pups. I was to be father to them...to raise them and protect them," he paused for a moment, one of his words coming out in a hiss before continuing. "After a few months many members lost their lives and deserted us, but still we remained...until one day on my border run, I realized that the girl had taken both of the children with her...away from me. She knew how deeply the children affected me after what had happened in the past and yet she still took them away from me...it was only Namara and I left, Poison Path had to disband, and we broke away from my home." He finished, his voice gruff and holding a hint of anger in them. Never would he forget what Athena had done to him. He had almost died, and Ash was not sure if he would ever be able to forgive that betrayal.

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It was clear her innocent question had hit a nerve Nari didn't know about. His face might have been stoic but she noticed the ginger and gray male's body tense before he began to answer her.

"I lead beside another woman and at the time we were strictly business partners. Against my better judgement, I allowed her to mate with another subordinate who she trusted...who would have ended up taking my place should he have been worthy enough. Before the pups were born he disappeared, but I remained and looked after Poison Path and the woman...she eventually had her pups. I was to be father to them...to raise them and protect them," Ash's voice hissed out some of the words as Nari retracted her ears and tensed her whole body ready to defend from an attack. Suddenly feeling very vulnerable she slowly moved to position herself laying on her belly with her long legs under her ready to get up at a moments notice.

Then the silver wolf listened as the man gave her his full story and an expression of serious thought pulled across her light and dark gray face.

"After a few months many members lost their lives and deserted us, but still we remained...until one day on my border run, I realized that the girl had taken both of the children with her...away from me. She knew how deeply the children affected me after what had happened in the past and yet she still took them away from me...it was only Namara and I left, Poison Path had to disband, and we broke away from my home." The Hervok spoke with pain hidden behind his words. Nari was always adept at spotting such things however small they were, and kept quiet with her own comments. Many things ran through her head right now. Questions and thoughts about the wolves who once ran in Poison Path, and why the pack had separated.

With Ash's side of the story and what Nari already knew, the silver she wolf could piece together quite a bit of what had happened to Poison Path. The communication of the pack was not good, especially on their members part. Nobody really knew who was doing what or where each pack mate was half the time...and Ash got caght in the middle doing exactly what he was supposed to be doing. She thought quietly thinking back on how Aphrodite had been brought back to their borders. Nari wondered if she should tell @Ash that Athena had fallen into the very cave they sat within and stayed for a short time healing injuries. He already looks like he may break if I speak about anything else...Besides, why would he trust my word? Ash barely knows me... Nari decided that she would tell Ash once he had calmed down perhaps in a day or so. Right now was not the time.

"Ash.. All I'm going to say before I take my leave is this. Don't assume things. Don't assume things that you do not know of Ash..." Nari shoved herself up and in a lowly submissive pose slunk away into the welcoming darkness of the deeper tunnels in order to rest. Her mind was filled over the brim with information for the day. Now she had to process it all within her dreams.

(Exit Narimé)